Method of heating



Oct. 26 1926.

H. FOERSTERLING METHOD 0F HEATING Original vFiled March 5 1925 mmZEDm Y UW \..|NVENTOR I @u ffm;

TTORN EY.

Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES HANS IEOERSTERLING, OF

METHOD Original application filed March 5, 192'5, Serial No.

This invention relates to the method of heating, and particularly by the utilization of air gas from an inflammable liquid.

In my 13,068, filed March 5th, 1925, I have described a methodof and an apparatus for Y making air gas from an inflammable liquid such as gasoline. I have also describedthe construction of a burner suitable for burning such air gas.

Pursuant to the invention of this application, the heating is effected by the utilization of an air gas produced by the method set forth in my a plication Serial No. 13,069, filed by me on arch 5th, 1925, and entitled Method of producing air gas from an in flammable liquid, of which application this application is a division.

I have found that if I use less than approximately 3 cc. of gasoline in vapor form per one cubic foot of air the green inner core of the flame disappears quickly and the latter assumes a pale blue color. If I decrease the flow of gasoline still further. leaving the flow of air the same, the gas so produced will not burn at all, indicating that the lower explosion limit has been passed.

Hence the pale blue flame is a sign that the explosion limit is nearly reached. Such a flame is easily extinguished by the least draft of air, as for instance when caused by an open window and may not be considered for anypractical use under ordinary conditions. I

Such a gas has however just the right composition for effecting heterogeneous surface combustion of the nature as discovered by Bone Vin his U. S. Letters Patent Nos. 1,222,922, 1,223,243, 1,223,249 and 1,223,303.

Vhile surface combustion is used to some extent in the industries for heating larger objects like boilers. furnaces and the like, it has not yet found a foothold in household uses. This undoubtedly is due to the fact that all the fuel gas which is used for domestic purposes requires an additional sup'- ply of air and such close regulation of air and gas as is necessary to obtain satisfactory results, cannot be expected from the average user of the cooking stove.

lVith my method of making an air gas from an inflammable volatile liquid it is however easy to produce a gas which has the ideal composition for carrying out het- `PATENT OF copending application Serial No.A

F I C E JAMEsBUne, New JERSEY.

F HEATING.

13,069. Divided and this application filed September Serial No. 57,996.

erogeneous surface combustion, by simply regulating the proportion of air to the inflammable volatile liquid accordingly. By my invention all adjustment of valves for producing the correct mixture of air and gas is. done away with, and the operation of this eflic-ient method of heating is reducedto the simple process of opening a gas valve, lighting the llame and shutting the valve when the heat is no longer required. y

Further features and objects of my inven tion will be more fully understood from the followingr detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a diagram showing one form of carrying out my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of my heating burner; and y Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, of Fig. 2.

As is indicated in the diagram of Fig. 1 of the drawings, the method of my present application is advantageously carried out by means of the apparatus set forth in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 13,068 and my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 13,069. Stated in general terms, one form of such apparatus com- `prises a tank 1 serving as a reservoir for the inflammable liquid such as motor gasoline, to be vaporized. The pump 2 conveys the :inflammable liquid from the reservoir l to the upper portion of the vaporizcr 3. `Theair current generator 4 such as an air blower of the Tirrill fan type, or similar low pressure airblower, is operated by any 4suitable actuating means. such as the weight 5 suspended from one end of a cord, passingr `over suspending pulleys, the opposite end of which cord is wound over a winch secured to the shaft of the fan of the Tirrill blower or equivalent. The air current generator l is correlated to the motion of the pump 2, as by interconnecting the winch of the air current generator 4 by means of a chain drive 7, with the movable element of the pump. Preferably, such interconnection includes suitable means such as a regulatable cam -8 for regulating the proportion of the air to the quantity of inflammable liquid supplied by the pump 2 to the vaporizer 3,

The pump 2 feeds the inflammable liquid to the vaporizer 3 in the form of a thin moving stream which passes from the upper portion of the vaporizer 3 in counterdirection to the air current entering near the bottom ot the vaporizer 3, whereby the vola the outlet oit' the vaporizer 3thereby also reducing the pressure of the air and ot' the air gas WithinV the vaporlZr Band 4thereby in turn ,reducing thepressure of the air in the air line yfrom the air current generator to the vaporizer: and also reducing the pressure Within the air current generatore whereupon the reduced pressure Permits the tan of .the Tirrill blower, or equivalent, to

- revolvel under actu-ation ot the weight 5,

PCI

or equivalent, thereby driving the chain 7 cam 8 and finally the `pump 2, the combined operations ofwhichprovide the proper proportions of airand of vinliarnmable liquid to the Yvaporizer ,3, `Whereiuon 'additional air gas is formed and ot a quantity corresponding to `the quantity Withdrawn :from the pipeline 17 from the one or more burners 10 in use. Such additionaly air gas of uniform composition to that previously formed. i Assuming that but one burner 10 was lighted, under'the conditions set forth hereinabove, and that now another burner 10 is lighted, andgenerally, under the Condition of increased consumptlom-,the above operations take place and in this instance the newly formed airy gas is of a correspondingly increased volume and ot the same, i. e., uniform, composition. Assuming, now, that one of the number of burners 10 is shut oil, the newly formed air gasrinthis instance 'is of reduced quantity, its composition, vhowever, 'being maintained uniform. Upon shuttingol all ot the consumption units, the withdrawal in this instance of the formed air gas in the pipeline 17 Vis nil, and accordingly the pressure of the air gas in the pipeline V17 and the pressure ot' the air Within the vaporizer 3 and the remaining parts of the apparatus etfectsfthe cessation of the ro- 'tation of the fan in the Tirill blower, orI equivalent, and brings the production ot the air gas in the vaporizer 3 to the stage of non-operation, i Y

Accordingly, it is apparent that the regulation of the consumption of the air by means of the one Aor morecocls 12, or

equivalent. also attains the regulation Aof the Yproduction otlhevair gas inrespect to the quantity and also in respect to the stages ott operation and non-operation according to the quantity and the stage olf operation and non-operation ot consumption.

Pursuant to my invention the air gas is consumed under heterogeneous combustion conditions, that is to say, Without any additional i. e., secondary, supply of air to each burner 1() or equivalent. Y

ln Fig-1 of this application I show a very simple construction ot a burner which can be used `for a vcooking stove in connection with heterogeneous surface combustion.`

lrepresents av cast iron shell to which `is attachedl the V`gas pipir'ig 11 Witha Vgas cock ln order @to 'tinfdv out ,What-the" eiliciency ifs "-l''Comparison With' Athe fed inn-1y aforesaid 'CO-peildo'f su'clrfaY bu' burner descr ing application the following v.tests Were carried out-. Y l

in each case1'()00fcc.` of Waterlwas heated 'from 15 to' 900 C fr An aluminum potmeasuring in diameterby 5 highand provided Witha cofver Was'used. Thetemperature ivafs'talrei'iat regular interyals. lnstead of using a pump tor 1assing'the'gaso- `line through the' vaporizer and. catching the unvaporized gasoline in a tank, the gasoline ivaa'tedfrom -a graduated cylinderv provided ivith a glass regulating cool: an'dathe recovered gasoline caught ina regular measuring cylinder. rlhe feeding was regulated by hand sothat anapproximately of loose, small pieces'ot'A ordinary-'Erev uniformly slowlioiv was obtained, The Vre- Vsult's were as tollorvs:

11. Homogcneous flame combustion' To heat 100() ce. olf Waterrtrcm'l to 90 ,C there were required cc. ot' gasoline and recovered Cobi gasoline; hencethe used and vaporized solnezi? ot gasoline or 37,7% oi vap'orisaifi'on. Assuming that 1 t'jal. olz gasolinerill() t. u. the 17 cc. correspond to eL B. t. u:

e To heat 1000 cc, of Water 75 C. there is required theoretically27 li. t. u. Hence an efficiency of 53% Wasobtained. V@ther datzrtalren: The'time of heating 18 minutes: the amount of air used Was cu. tt. The distance Afrom the burner plate to the bottom ofthe pot was 3g i pressure was about 1 of Water; the gasthe gas To heat 1000 cc. of water 750 C. there were required cc. of gasoline and recovered cc. of gasoline hence the used and vaporized gasoline 17 cc. of g.isoline:48.6% vaporization. As the same amount of gasoline was used as with homogeneous combustion the efficiency remains the same or equals 53%. The time of heating was 2l minutes, the amount of air used 6.72 cu. ft.; the distance `from the burner to the bottom of the pot was 12. All other of the aforesaid data remained the saine.

Ileterogeneous surface combustion in combination with an air gas, made from motor gasoline has shown the p acticability of eX- tracting from a given quantity of' gasoline a greater percentage of vaporized proportion for gas making purposes than is possible with homogeneous combustion. The approximate figures are vaporization against with a corresponding actual consumption of approximately 2.5 cc. of gasoline as against 3-3-5 cc, per l cu. ft. of air.

As additional advantages of a combination of air gas in connection with surface combustion I like to mention the following.

It allows to bring the surface of the burner and the obj ect to be heated practically close together. The distance between the burner and the bottom of the object to be heated in a regular gas stove is about 11/2. Such a distance is of course a source of great heat losses and particularly whenever a draft is created in proximity of the flame. It is obvious that the overall efliciency under actual working conditions as they exist in a kitchen throughout the year is in favor of a burner which can be set as closely as possible to the object to be heated. The electrically heated pot proves this where the means of heating and the object to be heated forni one unit.

`With homogeneous flame combustion it happens sometimes that the flame flashes back, when a sudden draft is created, as when a window or door is opened. Sometimes a gust of wind will even blow out the flame and if nobody is present unburnt gas may escape.

lVith surface combustion this is impossible; even the strongest wind can not eX- tinguish the burner.

It is obvious that the amount of 2.5 ccm. of gasoline vaporized per one cubic foot of air is only approximate and may vary slightly with different types of gasoline; it may also depend somewhat on the construction of the burner used, as some burners will al.-

low a regulation closer to the theoretically required quantities of fuel and air for complete combustion than others. but the enact regulation will not be difficult for those skilled in the art. The exact quantities of gasoline and air are those which produce a flame, which under homogeneous combustion conditions will show a blue color and which is easily extinguished with an open flame burner by a slight draft of air. A n air gas which shows at the test burner these characteristics will give a flaineless incanoescent surface when a heterogeneous sur- `face combustion burner is used.

It is obvious that when I say I can vaporise approximately 4.5% of gasoline and produce a gas suitable for heterogeneous surface combustion in comparison to approximately 35% with homogeneous flame combustion, such figures are only relative. They depend firstly, on the air temperature which governs the vapor tension and secondly, on the product itself. The figures stated refer to a motor gasoline of a composition which is sold on our market today. But it must be borne in mind that todays composition is not the saine as it was l0 years ago and as it might be l() years from now. Further7 that the composition varies with different countries. Initial boiling points, final boiling point, percentages of fractional distillation to a certain temperature and the proportion which can be vaporized with a given amount of air are not fixed factors. Hence, in order to obtain the best results with a given quality of gasoline it becomes necessary to determine the proportion of air to gasoline, which however is a very simple thing with the apparatus I have described in my aforesaid copending application.

It will also be obvious that in place of motor gasoline, lower boiling grades may be used, in fact many other inflammable liquids t-he vapor tension of which is sufficient for producing with air a gas which will burn can be used.

Vifhereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modi,- fications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

l. The method of producing heat by vaporizing a volatile inflammable liquid with the proper proportion of air to obtain ai gas of substantially uniform composition and which contains a. slight excess of oxygen over that required theoretically for the complete combustion of the combustible constituents of the liquid to carbonio acid and water, regulating the production of the gas by the consumption of the gas, and burning the gas under conditions suitable for heterogeneous combustion. i

2. The method of producing heat by valll() porizing a volatile hydrocarbon With the proper proportion ot' air to obtain a gas of substantially uniform composition and which contains a slight excess of oxygen over that required for Vthe complete combustion of the combustible constituents to carbonio acid and Water, regulating the production of the gas by the consumption of the gas, and burningthe gas under conditionssuitable for heterogeneous combustion.

3. The method of producing heat by. Vaporizing ya standard grade of inotor gasoline with ,the proper Yproportion of air to obtain a gas of substantially uni forni cornposition and which contains a slight excess of oxygen oyer that required theoretically for the complete combustion of the combustible ingredients to carbonio acid and Water, thereby extracting;r a greater amount of `Volatile constituents from a given amount of motor gasoline than when no excess of oxygen is used over that theoretically required for the complete combustion of the coinbustible constituents to' carbonio lacid and water, regulating the production of the gas lby the consumption of the gas, and burning the gas under conditions suitable for heterogeneous combustion.

1n testimony whereof have signed this specification this 18th dey of September,

HANS eonnsrnntine. 

